Welcome to my Food Journey

Curious Southern Cook on a journey to learn...and to create exceptional dining experiences. I love entertaining and preparing food for loved ones & friends and sharing those experiences with others. My wish is that you will be fed too. Bon Appetite!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Necessity IS the "Mother of Invention". I needed not to have bought so many limes for what was required in a recipe... but they were only available in none or beaucoup, so what to do?

Also, it's getting to be the time of year when we yearn to be outside grilling, gardening or having sand between our toes. Nothing goes better with the latter, during the first and after the middle than... a Margarita. You can make the base mixer and keep it in the refrigerator until time to celebrate. I recommend using it within a week, so invite a few friends over and Enjoy!

Make sure to wash the limes before squeezing.

Each lime should yield about 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice.

Margarita Mixer Base

Yield: Makes 5 cups

2 cups water1 cup sugar*

Dash of salt2 cups fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

Zest from 1 lime

To make the simple syrup - combine water, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Cool syrup.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Who
knew you could make Irish Cream? It's a cream liqueur that we all have
added to our coffee or sipped in front of a crackling fire. I have
forever been a fan and when I started running across recipes that seemed
relatively simple...

it was on.

I
found several interesting ones and after getting home this
evening began searching out the ingredients. Not in one recipe...did I
have every item. You have done this and I have many times before:
substituted this and that, so if you are shy of something... get
creative and the result will be delicious!

Colcannon
is a tradition Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and kale or
cabbage, cream, salt, pepper, butter and often ham or bacon. In a mood
to repurpose leftover "Greens", I thought I would make Colcannon and
"Dixie it up a bit". I had previously cooked a pot of combined turnip
and collard greens...spiked with smoked ham. If you do not have access
to fresh greens, I would recommmend a canned option such as any made by
"Glory Foods".

This
week everyone that isn't Irish is for one day and everyone that is...
celebrates even harder. My heritage inspired me to reinterpret this
Irish classic and in using greens... brings it home even more.

Oh, my Gleason (Gleeson) roots lead me back to Tipperary, in "Southern" Ireland.